


White Eyes

by JackGiggles



Series: The Nelvanniverse [2]
Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death, Daedra (Elder Scrolls), Daedra Worship (Elder Scrolls), Dovahzul (Elder Scrolls), Drabble, Dunmer (Elder Scrolls), Gen, Headcanon, One Shot, Origin Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:08:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28538595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackGiggles/pseuds/JackGiggles
Summary: Aranea Ienith lived at Azura's Shrine ever since she was a young girl, and Azura had a duty for her.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Series: The Nelvanniverse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1923754
Kudos: 3





	White Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> This is a companion piece to Chapter 7: The Stars Align of Skyrim: The Nelvanni Story, and its best if that is read before this drabble.

Aranea Ienith lived at her Goddess' shrine for a very long time. She was only a small girl when Red Mountain erupted, maybe 10 at the time as the ash started to loom and descend onto the weakened remains of her old home. Nothing was the same after the moonlet crashed into Vivec City, after their God King had passed away. After all, without the Heart's power... what would keep Vehk alive? And would it ever be worth it, to have just one third of the Tribunal to rule them?

Why trust the judgement of someone who was once mortal, flawed, when there are the Reclamations? The original three who taught the Dunmer how to be themselves. The challenges they faced- surely it was due to Morrowind's neglect of them. 

Boethiah's merciless life style, to push them to their limits, make the Dunmer stronger then before.

Mephala's trickery and wit, her crumbling guild of legal assassins to smooth out political disputes.

Azura's tough love, and guiding hand as she pointed the Lenith family, among others, to Skyrim's shores.

" _There_ " she said, speaking through her withering, blind grandmother. " _The shores of Skyrim, near the mountain peeks of Winterhold. Settle here, and with work prosperity and fortune may smile upon you._ "

It was never easy, as there was always work to be done and the local Nords never made it exactly easy on the Dunmer Refugees. Aranea had to help somehow, but she was at an age where she could barely control a fire ball spell or wield a bow to hunt with her father. As she tried and tried to pull the string back during the early morning, her grandmother, Elder of the house, would teach her weaving in the evening. She would tell the girl stories of Morrowind, of tales older then most texts and others being when Aranea was too young to remember.

When she was older, at 12 she was told of the legendary Nerevarine, and his prophecy. Her elder was related to an Ashlander wise woman, apart of the Nerevarine Cult, who even met the strange incarnation.

"He was a quiet man, humble... not like what a Nord may paint their heroes of myths as" Her elder smiled, full of wrinkles. "But he was everything we needed, outlander or not."

He was gentle and apparently very intimated of the Ashlanders, and Aranea's vaguely remembers her aunt, an ashlander she was unfortunately forbidden to see often, mentioned an outlander had given them many gifts when he visited their camp. Practical, like food, materials and some gold.

"Aren't we outlanders now?" She had asked, and her Elder's expression deepened, her milky eyes staring dead ahead into the distance- where waves lapped at the shoreline.

"One day, we may return home. But yes."

And many did try. She remembers the first to leave were a couple, who wanted to be married on Morrowind soil, not just at the base of their Goddess' frozen shrine. They never returned, and her Elder said it was probably for the best. This just wasn't the conditions for raising newborns.

Then her father died to a wolf attack, from being so old he couldn't defend himself as well anymore. Mother went to take his remains to the family tomb- returning with news that it was destroyed and raided. Mother tried collecting and saving funds, so many one day they could return and build it back up, and Aranea tried so hard to help.

It didn't matter in the end, when Mother eventually caught a horrible case of Brain Rot, and passed away a week later.

Numbers kept dwindling, and many decided to take off, leave Winterhold for warmer land. They went west, to Whiterun, Riften... and soon it was just Aranea and her Grandmother.

There, her Grandmother had a vision while meditating- and from then on, with her life slipping by, taught Aranea of Azura, her teachings and fate.

"I have seen her, in her Ivory glory, and she has a task for you, but one she will not mention to me." She explained to a now 200 year old Aranea, who was now the sole care taker of the shrine. "Have faith in our lady, for she will guide you to your fate."

Aranea had to see her first vision right after her Elder passed away, and didn't realize until then that her elder wasn't always blind. The sheer divinity she was exposed to- she now understood the Moth Priests in the Imperial City, reading those scrolls takes a toll on the mind and eyes of mere mortals.

She was deeply humbled by the blinding light of Azura, but afterwards, even with her fate sealed... she couldn't help but weep for the fact she couldn't immediately find her grandmother's corpse to preform a burial. It took several attempts, but she got there.

She only wished she could get her remains to Morrowind.

* * *

Azura explained her objective cryptically, but with time Aranea was able to make sense of her Goddess' will.

She had her sights set on a Dunmer boy, who hasn't even been born yet. On the 12th of Sun's Dusk, at seventeen years of age, he will arrive at the foot of Azura's statue. The how and the why changed as time went on, but now it was more clear then ever.

He would bring back Azura's Star to its rightful owner, cleanse it of the darkness it was cursed with by the greedy Malyn Varen. From there, Aranea would be able to leave Azura's shrine, to acompany and teach the boy of how the world worked.

That was her duty, and she was assured as it was the morning of the 12th, that it would work.

" _It **will** work._" Her Goddess spoke. " _Or else._ "

Aranea didn't even think to consider what that 'else' may be, if it didn't work. Why wouldn't it? Who would refuse the calling of their Goddess? He was Dunmer, surely he knew the importance...

The boy was nothing she could have predicted- nor the Altmer that accompanied him. This Urvel was... brash. Stubborn, and most importantly- weary. While Aranea didn't have the physical ability for sight any longer, she could sense the distrust he held, deep within his soul. She could clearly picture a deep sneer on his face.

This Altmer, she didn't know what to make of him. A father figure, perhaps. A mentor... whoever he was, he was the only one the Choosen trusted. Something... was wrong here.

* * *

Aranea was given days to worry, but the current blizzard managed to keep her mind off of her deep set anxiety about the Dunmer boy. She tried to meditate at the alter, but her hands shook along with everything else as she was frozen to the core, fingers turned purple and quickly fading to black. She had lost feeling in her ears by now.

But, suddenly the heavy beat of wings snapped her out of any focus she tried to build up. There was a loud scraping noise, talons against stone as a voice boomed up above, so different compared to her God.

" _ **Fahliil** \- mer. What are you doing here, in this **krah strun**? This, freezing storm?_"

She was speechless for a moment. "I'm... worshipping my goddess."

The newcomer hummed. " _Do you not have the means for indoors? You kind, **Dur Fahliil** , Dunmer, aren't made for this place._"

She thought it over before replying. "I have to make up for my ancestors, by not repaying her respect for so long... it is nothing compared to the disrespect."

The newcomer said nothing, and it was a moment before she asked; "Who are you?"

"I am _Lizvulon_ "

How bad could it be, to just talk with someone?

* * *

Something was wrong. _Very wrong_ , as she awoke one morning suddenly to her Goddess' wrath.

The winds atop the hill were howling, a screech in which Aranea could hear Azura's voice.

" _FIND THE BOY_ "

So she did, blindness aside. Her Goddess, while taking away physical sight, replaced it with something else. Another sense, to detect ones entire being. She stormed through the icy blizzard as it slowly calmed down the closer she got to Winterhold. There, she could detect... nothing of her Goddess.

There, she could feel the presence of the stolen star- completely stripped of what made it Azura's. The Dunmer boy was proud of his achievement, holding it up to the heavens to appreciate its dark coloration. He was pleased with himself, the stolen star in his hands.

Aranea... couldn't remember what all happened as she screamed. Azura had taken over her body, cussing out the child with words of damnation. She made him exist, along side his grandfather. And there, Aranea could see everything. And here, she understood.

Virgil and Urvel Nelvanni, grandfather and grandson. Nerevarine, and Dragonborn. Two folk heroes, and yet one was never suppose to be.

Azura wanted Urvel in her fold just to use him, punish him for a lifelong of sin he didn't even know about.

Aranea was left in the dark about what her Goddess wanted, and here she lay suddenly in the cold snow, her body turning colder as she coughed blood and shook to the core. Being the two who cursed Azura's star, and one of them firing a shard of ice into her gut- they sounded so sorrowful. Good, she thought bitterly... before letting the thought drift away.

No need for pettiness, unlike the supposed _Slave God_. That should be an... easy conclusion to make, really. It was only due to the Twin Lamps that slavery was well on its way of being stamped out for good, even back in the 3rd era.

She hated it now, the fact she couldn't even see the face of her murderer, the betrayer... although is it betrayal if he managed to dodge the wrath of a God angry at him? For merely existing, being who he is?

And its so kind of the Altmer to promise that, to bring her remains to Morrowind... why did they feel the need to do that?

" _Rest well, and may your ancestors smile upon you, Ienith_."

She couldn't hear or see her Goddess, but instead the sad smile of her Grandmother.


End file.
